Yesteryear

35 Stunning Portraits of a Young and Beautiful Ingrid Bergman in the 1930s

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Ingrid Bergman (August 29, 1915 – August 29, 1982) was a Swedish actress. With a career spanning five decades, she is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cinematic history. Bergman was interested in acting from a young age. She studied at the Royal Dramatic Theatre School in Stockholm in the early 1930s before leaving to pursue a professional career in film.

Bergman made her film debut with a small role in the 1935 film Munkbrogreven (The Count of the Old Town). Over the next few years, she starred in a number of popular Swedish films, where she developed her “natural” and more muted acting style, which contrasted with the more dramatic style of the time. She was considered part of a new generation of Swedish actors.

She gained wider attention with Intermezzo (1936), where she co-starred with her idol Gösta Ekman. It was her first lead role and became a major success. Her performance caught the attention of American film producer David O. Selznick.

In En kvinnas ansikte (A Woman’s Face) (1938), Bergman defied her usual casting as an ingenue to play a bitter, disfigured character. The role demonstrated her range and talent, earning her critical acclaim and an award at the Venice Film Festival. By the late 1930s, she was one of Sweden’s most promising young actresses, admired for her natural acting style and beauty.

Impressed by her performance in Intermezzo, David O. Selznick bought the rights to the film and offered Bergman the lead role in the American remake. Bergman traveled to the United States in 1939 to film Intermezzo: A Love Story, co-starring with Leslie Howard. This film was a critical and commercial success and served as her Hollywood debut, launching her American career.

Elegant Fashion and Advertising Photography by Jerry Plucer-Sarna in the 1940s

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Jerry Plucer-Sarna was a multi-talented artist and photographer known for his work in fashion and advertising. Born in 1904, he began his career as an illustrator in Paris, creating drawings for publications like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. His work for these magazines caught the attention of editors, leading to him becoming a full-time collaborator.

In the 1940s, as photography became more prominent in fashion, Plucer-Sarna transitioned from illustration to photography. He was noted for his innovative approach, shooting models in real-world settings rather than just in a studio. His subjects included famous figures like Marlene Dietrich and Lauren Bacall.

After the war, Plucer-Sarna continued to work in both photography and painting, focusing on advertising campaigns for major brands. He later returned to France and continued his artistic pursuits until his death in 1991. Take a look at these vintage photos to see Jerry Plucer-Sarna’s fashion and advertising work from the 1940s.

Elise Daniels and model in Everfast cotton dresses, photo by Jerry Plucer, Harper’s Bazaar, April 1945

Lisa Fonssagrives in supple Onondaga crêpe dress in a ballerina print styled by Philip A. Vogelman, dress and hat by Ben Reig, photo by Jerry Plucer, Vogue, February 1, 1945

Model in contrasting light and dark Enka rayon and crêpe dress by ETA, photo by Jerry Plucer, Harper’s Bazaar, February 1945

Model in lovely portrait dress in a Ponemah rayon in Cat Tail print designed by Louise Barnes Gallagher for Bonwit Teller, photo by Jerry Plucer, Vogue, February 15, 1945

Models in beautiful Everfast fabric dresses by Joset Walker, photo by Jerry Plucer, Harper’s Bazaar, May 1945

The Two First Cousins, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and King George V of Great Britain, Pose for Various Photos Together

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Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and King George V of Great Britain were first cousins and bore a striking resemblance to each other. Their close familial relationship was a product of the interconnected royal houses of Europe at the turn of the 20th century. Nicholas II (1868–1918) became Emperor of Russia in 1894, while his cousin George V (1865–1936) ascended the British throne in 1910.

They were related through their mothers: George V’s mother was Princess Alexandra of Wales, the wife of Queen Victoria’s eldest son, Edward VII, and the sister of Nicholas’ mother, Marie of Denmark (later Empress Maria Feodorovna). This connection meant they were not only close relatives but also had a close personal relationship. They often wrote to each other, using nicknames like “Nicky” and “Georgie.”

The two cousins were often mistaken for one another due to their remarkable physical similarities. They shared the same blue eyes, similar beards, and an overall likeness that led many to joke they could have been twins. Photos of them together, particularly in military uniforms, highlight this uncanny resemblance.

Their bond, however, was tested by the geopolitical turmoil of the early 20th century. During World War I, Russia and Great Britain found themselves on the same side against the Central Powers, which included Germany, led by their other first cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II. Nicholas II, Wilhelm II, and George V were all first cousins through their shared grandmother, Queen Victoria, who was a key figure in the web of European royal relationships.

When the Russian Revolution began in 1917, Nicholas II and his family were overthrown and placed under house arrest. The British government offered the Romanovs asylum, but King George V withdrew the offer due to fears that public opinion in Britain would turn against him if he sheltered a controversial, autocratic monarch. He was concerned that it could incite a similar revolution in his own country. Ultimately, the Romanov family was executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.

Architect Minoru Yamasaki and His Team Posing With a Model of the World Trade Center That They Designed, 1964

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Minoru Yamasaki, the chief architect of the World Trade Center, commissioned several architectural models of the Twin Towers and the complex during the design phase in the early 1960s. These models played an important role in visualizing the unprecedented scale of the project, since nothing of that height and proportion had yet been built.

Yamasaki and his firm created smaller study models to explore tower proportions, plaza space, and the arrangement of the other buildings in the complex. These were mostly white or neutral-toned to emphasize form over detail.

A well-known large-scale model was presented to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in January 1964. It showed the two 110-story towers alongside the plaza and surrounding low-rise buildings. Yamasaki added tiny figurines to demonstrate that the plaza would be “human-scaled,” countering concerns that the massive towers would overwhelm people.

The models were typically made from wood, plastic, and plexiglass, with simplified façade detailing that echoed the vertical lines of the towers’ exterior structure.

One of the most famous images shows Yamasaki standing proudly next to the model, holding a tiny figure in his hand to illustrate scale. He wanted to reassure both officials and the public that the design would not feel alienating despite its size.

Updated models were produced during construction, showing refinements to the plaza, landscaping, and surrounding buildings. These were used for public exhibitions and press presentations. Some of Yamasaki’s WTC models survive in archives and museums. For example, the Skyscraper Museum in New York has displayed models of the World Trade Center in its exhibitions.

30 Amazing Cover Photos of Flipside Fanzine From the 1980s and ’90s

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Flipside, known as Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine, was a punk zine published in Whittier and Pasadena, California, from 1977 to 2002. The magazine was associated with its own record label, Flipside Records, releasing vinyl records beginning in 1978.

As a U.S. punk rock fanzine, Flipside chronicled the independent and underground music scene by fans of the punk scene. Flipside evolved from a photocopied fanzine to a magazine produced by web offset printing and featuring glossy covers.

Lasting more than two decades, Flipside remains remembered as a vital chronicle of punk history and a testament to the DIY spirit that defined the movement. Below is a collection of Flipside covers from the 1980s and 1990s.

Flipside cover #48, Spring 1986

Flipside cover #52, Summer 1987

Flipside cover #54, 1987

Flipside cover #56, Summer 1988

Flipside cover #57, Fall 1988

Snapshots of Micky Dolenz of The Monkees Posing With a Chimpanzee in 1967

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In 1967, during The Monkees’ summer tour, Micky Dolenz took photos with a chimpanzee actor named Mr. Jinx in the Monkees’ New York City suite at the Warwick Hotel. The photos show Dolenz with Mr. Jinx, an event that also led to a discussion by other Monkees, like Mike Nesmith, about the tendency for fans to ask for pictures with their pets.

“I’m surprised that Nez sat for pictures because we always tended to avoid that,” said Dolenz. “People would say, ‘Oh, take a picture with my pet monkey!’ And we would say, ‘When you meet The Beatles, do you ask them to take a picture with a cockroach?’”

Shortly after Micky shot these pics, Mr. Jinx would retire to the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, MO.

30 Amazing Vintage Photographs of People Posing With Runestones in Sweden

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A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. Runestones served a variety of purposes beyond simply marking a grave. They were not typically placed at a burial site but rather in prominent locations like along roads, at bridges, or near farms to be seen by many people.

The most common purpose was to commemorate a deceased family member, friend, or loved one. The inscriptions often detail who the stone was for, who raised it, and their relationship to the deceased. Raising a runestone also was a way for a family or an individual to display their wealth, social standing, and piety. Some stones were even raised by individuals for themselves, a form of self-aggrandizement.

The surge in runestone creation during the 11th century coincided with the transition from Norse paganism to Christianity. Many runestones prominently feature a Christian cross and a prayer for the soul of the deceased, demonstrating the family’s new faith. In some regions, like Uppland, the tradition may have been particularly strong because the conversion to Christianity was more prolonged.

The runestone tradition began in the 4th century, but the vast majority of the over 3,000 extant runestones in Scandinavia date from the late Viking Age (c. 950–1100 CE), with a remarkable concentration in Sweden.

Early runestones (4th–5th centuries) in Sweden and Norway were often placed near graves, but their exact function is debated. They were sometimes inscribed with the Elder Futhark, an older, 24-character runic alphabet.

The tradition became widespread in Denmark around 970 CE after King Harald Bluetooth erected the large Jelling Stone to commemorate his parents and his conversion of the Danes to Christianity. This act sparked a “runestone wave” that spread northward into Sweden.

The runestones from the Viking Age typically use the Younger Futhark, a 16-character runic alphabet. The inscriptions are often arranged within an ornate band, which frequently takes the shape of a serpent, dragon, or other quadruped. When they were first erected, these stones were brightly painted, though the colors have since worn off.

By the 12th century, the tradition of raising runestones faded as Latin letters and church inscriptions became dominant. Many runestones were later reused in churches, bridges, and buildings, though many have since been recovered and preserved.

Research assistant and archaeologist Hans Hildebrand, (Director General of the Swedish National Heritage Board in 1879-1907) sitting beside the Rök Stone, 1872. The runestone – covered with nearly 750 runes – was raised in the 9th century AD by Varin in memory of his dead son Vämod. The Rök Stone is also one of several Historical Sites in trust of the Swedish National Heritage Board.

Man at a boulder in the sea at Brantevik in Scania, with a runic inscription from 1873.

The Curman children with their french governess at a runestone at the Antuna estate, Sweden, 1880. The inscription reads, “Gerlak had … in memory of Häming, his son; and Ärnmund in memory of Holmfrid, his wife, and in memory of Una/Unna, (his) daughter.”

Three girls at a runestone on Ströbo meadow at Herrstaberg, ca. 1880s. The inscription reads, “Vibern raised this stone in memory of Solva, his brother.”

Three children at a flat piece of rock with a runic inscription, near Risinge Church, 1893. The inscription was made in 1678 by Eric Bruzaeus, the vicar’s son in Risinge. It says only that the runes were carved in this year.

35 Handsome Portraits of Robert Ryan in the 1950s and ’60s

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Robert Ryan (1909–1973) was an American actor celebrated for his powerful screen presence and versatility, particularly in film noir and socially conscious dramas of the 1940s through the 1960s.

Born in Chicago, Ryan began his career on stage before transitioning to Hollywood, where he gained recognition in Crossfire (1947), a performance that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Often cast as tough, complex, or morally ambiguous characters, he brought depth and intensity to roles in films such as The Set-Up (1949), On Dangerous Ground (1951), Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), and The Wild Bunch (1969).

Off-screen, Ryan was known for his progressive political views and opposition to racism and McCarthyism, which sometimes contrasted with the bigoted or violent characters he portrayed. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he worked with many of Hollywood’s greatest directors and actors, leaving a legacy as one of the era’s most compelling character actors.

Take a look at these vintage photos to see portraits of Robert Ryan in the 1950s and 1960s.

40 Vintage Color Photos Capture Beach Life in the Mid-20th Century

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During the mid-20th century, beaches became lively cultural spaces where people from all walks of life gathered to relax, socialize, and embrace leisure. Postwar prosperity and the rise of mass tourism meant that seaside holidays were more accessible than ever, and beaches from California to the Côte d’Azur, from Brighton to Miami, filled with families, couples, and groups of friends.

Men and women dressed in the fashions of the time—high-waisted swimsuits, patterned trunks, sun hats, and cat-eye sunglasses—while children played in the sand or splashed in the surf. The atmosphere was one of carefree enjoyment, reflecting both the optimism of the era and the growing importance of leisure in modern life.

These scenes of crowded boardwalks, striped umbrellas, and sun-drenched afternoons capture the charm of a bygone age, when a day at the beach symbolized freedom, health, and the simple pleasures of summer. Take a look at these vintage color photos to see what beach life looked like from the mid-20th century.

Fascinating Photos of Shelley Duvall and Sissy Spacek on the Set of “3 Women” (1977)

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3 Women is a 1977 American psychological drama film written, produced and directed by Robert Altman and starring Shelley Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Janice Rule. The film is known for its dreamlike and surreal quality, which is fitting since the idea for the movie reportedly came to Altman in a dream he had while his wife was in the hospital. In his dream, he saw Shelley Duvall and Sissy Spacek in a story about identity theft in a desert setting.

Altman’s vision for the film was so specific that he reportedly woke up and immediately knew he wanted to cast Duvall and Spacek. Spacek had just had a major breakthrough with her performance in Carrie (1976), and Duvall was an Altman regular, having worked with him on films like Nashville (1975) and Thieves Like Us (1974).

The film was shot in the California desert, in and around Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs. Both Duvall and Spacek were given a good deal of creative freedom by Altman. The dialogue was partly improvised, particularly for Duvall’s character, Millie. Duvall is even credited with writing her character’s diary entries and recipes. The two actresses spent long hours together rehearsing and filming in stark desert settings, which contributed to the eerie, almost otherworldly quality of the movie.

Their performances in the film were highly praised. Shelley Duvall won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, and Sissy Spacek won Best Supporting Actress from the New York Film Critics Circle.